Chasing the dots … Namibian Idles

Creativity, innovation, inspiration never emerges from a vacuum. It feeds off previous efforts of others and sometimes, with luck, trans-mutates, virus like, into progress; I therefore thank this paper es Friday columnists for inspiration.

Yes, Namibia political process has gravitated to a sterile process of conformity driven by self-interest and greed; choice has been reduced to single option dogma, change reduced to chair swapping as geriatrics fade and give space to their groomed, dependant, younger replacements. But it was the parallel between Big Brother and electoral process that interested me; the big prize, winner takes all followed by apathy.I shall vote in November as regular elections for Mother Parliament is the gground zero h of democratic process and thus important; it is the baseline from which real democratic process builds but where Namibia has yet to truly progress. Without a doubt Swapo will win this election as the opposition will remain fragmented, fractious and ineffective; Swapo will interpret this, correctly, as a mandate to continue business as usual. Little will change, new members will enter the wealthy éand entrenched policies, despite their evident failures, will remain the norm.The new government will continue the alchemic wizardry of turning political, financial and technological gold into lead! Once governments existed to support the people, financial institutions to support business and economic growth and technology to transform the wonders of science into improvement in general well-being. Now the people have to support government through sacrifice, business exists to provide sustenance to the financial institutions and their bonuses and technology has become the rod by which to beat the backs of the people and keep them subordinated! Globalised brilliance! No wonder politics and politicians have become discredited as a once proud, brave and independent minded system run by radical, people centred people are now valued little more than second-hand car salesman, drug dealers and ambulance chasing lawyers! The problem is how to change this without gthrowing out the baby with the bathwater h.It is going to be interesting to find out how much interest is shown in the electoral process. What is the turnout? Surely a measure of political enthusiasm and a proxy for success of electoral endeavour. So why not discount all party funding by the number of people who do not cast their vote; an apathy correction. This would increase the effort to get voters to the polls? Or provide an increased incentive to cheat?This would provide a primary incentive to get our evidently rather lazy politicians to do some work! Lazy? Just look at the IPPR report on parliamentary involvement; not a pretty sight. But we need more. Maybe innovation in the form of gNamibia Idles h!Perhaps NBC could come up with a format that mixes Big Brother and Namibia I-Dolls. A format that involves political decision makers, think tankers and others are locked up in a house for a few of weeks under 24/7 televised (and radio) scrutiny; the objective, to come up with critical reviews, new policy ideas and solve problems. An open discussion, utilisation of SMS inputs from the public and to keep the gender brigade happy, Big Sister holding things together. The gchuck out h vote by public SMS fs would provide both income for the big prizes and a democratic input.The final act would be to have a gSimon Cowell h type review panel to tear the participants apart and evaluate the outcome. Maybe return fun and involvement to politics plus save having to publish Hansard! Decisions would be open and transparent.Any takers? Shower hour would be fun! Namibia Idles or not? csmith@mweb.com.na